A SETTLEMENT. THE DENNISTON DIFFICULTY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1908, Page 2

A SETTLEMENT. THE DENNISTON DIFFICULTY.

RESULT OF THE MINISTERIAL PEACEMAKING. COURT TO BE ASKED TO CANCEL A CLAUSE. [BY TEL3GHAPH. — PHES9 ASSOCIATION.] WESTPORT, 27th January. A representative of the Westport News interviewed Sir Joseph Ward this afternoon, and asked whether ho could give an outline of what had transpired at the private meeting with the miners at Denniston on the preceding day. The Premier replied that he would have been happy under ordinary circumstances to do so, but ho had stated to the miners that ho wished the meeting to be a private one, and that only those belonging to the Miners' Union bo present. It was not in any sense a public meeting. The whole position and issues involved being so far-reaching, he had stated that tho miners — those who wet© so deeply interested — would have from him and his colleagues their opinions ■upon the situation, and that it be as a matter entirely between them and the men. That being so, he could not attempt to outline the speeches made. Tho miners had accepted the proposals in the spirit in which they wet© made, and a< j very satisfactory settfement was mado of a position which, ha 4it been allowed to develop, might have been very serious, to all parties concerned. POSITION REVIEWED. Last session of Parliament, said Sir Joseph, the Coalmines Act Amendment Act., providing eight hours' work "bank to bank," was passed. Tho Arbitration Couit, which gave an award- a short timo ago, arrived at a decision with which the Denniston Miners' Union felt aggrieved, as they cooisidared the decision , deprived them of what Parliament in- ' tended to give them when it passed the clause in the amending Act. The result was that they had not np to now complied with the findings of the Arbitration Court. From the outset he madeit clear that no member of tho Government could' interfere with the decisions of the Arbitration Court. ' Theee were final and binding- on ,tho parties, and | the court alone could interpret tho Act of Parliament referred to, and it interpreted the Act to tho best of its judgment. The miners wexo not entitled to take up the stand they had -taken i any more than the company would havo been. Had the decision pone against fche ! company, it would not havo been war- [ ranted in ignoring the law and deciding to go on its own course. The position i was an illegal ono, and unless it were ended the provisions of the Arbitration Act -were bound to bo applied — unless an amicable understanding could b© arrived I at. The Premier said he and his colleagues had visited Westport with the object of preventing development of the trouble, as he had been advised a. position had. been readied that could not possibly continue. As a matter of fact, law pro- ! oeedinQs had been commenced on behalf of the Mirers' Union — proceedings which he vras lesrallr advised were no,t going to finally effect a solution of the difficu'lly, but would mean, lens to tho miners and' loss to the country itself. He felfc that tho position vn» of bo serious a. character that the good offices of an independent person was desirable. What had been arrived a? was a. perfectly simplo statement between tile Doimiston Mine-rs' Union and the Westporfc Coal Company. THE AGREEMENT. An 'agreement Ij^d^boen come, to ,which was signed that fooi'lun^. I(> moant no loss of dignity upon either side. By the agreement tho Arbitration Court was to bo asked to cancel clause 16 of 'the award now iv ioic&, and Substitute a clause providing that -srorlc underground in tho mines be in accordance with the Coal Mines Act Amendment Aa6,',1907, and that travelling tinie hd forty-eight minutes in the Truebiidga section, find thirty -two minutes in the Coalbrookclalo section of the Denniston mines, and that time for workers underground be eight * hours, exclusive ,of ir.ealtiine. Three delegates on behalf of the miners had signed the agreement, ms had. Mr. Dixon, the district manager for the Westport Coal Company. What might have grown j io be a serious industrial been by both parties honourably ended. | The miners ■nt Denniston had shown every consideration to tho representations made by himself an-d his colleague to them. They had displayed -a. fair spirit throughout tho whole proceedings, and a decision had been arrived at by iheir agreeing to the suggestions he had placed before the union and the W-est-pdrt Coal Company's directors and its district manager. Both parties to tho award which had given rise to the trouble had shown a most praiseworthy desire io place trouble behind them. He was of opinion that next session ,of Parliament any doubt as to the original intention of "the bank-to-bank clause should be removed, in tho interests of the mineowners and miners, so that any possible doubt would be absolutoly removed. | SOCIALIST COMRADES' EFFORTS. A TRIBUTE. [BT TELEGKAPH.— PBEBS ASSOCI VTION .] WESTPORT, Tins Day. Denniston miners profess to be unable to understand why there should be such a fuss throughout the Dominion regarding the "bank to bank" clause, It is stated that that subject was rarely mentioned at the Ministerial conference with the miners at Donniston. Several members of the audience endeavoured unsuccessfully to inveigle the Prime Minister into a debate on Socialism. A comrade further seized the opportunity to distribute Socialist literature outside the hall. Under the new arrangement of hours at the Denniston mines, the underground mon in one section will work 7 hours 12 minutes, and in the other 7 hours 28 minutes. In the eight hours meal time is included. Tho local evening paper says : — "The compromise is a triumph for the personal intervention of Ministers. It has ] probably averted disaster, to the colliery industry and the communities of Westport district. The Westport Coal Com* pany had called upon the Labour Department to proceed against the men for continued breach of award and the adoption of this course would have meant serious complications. The company is to be congratulated upon' offering a compromise, and the men upon their wisdom in accepting it. Sir Joseph Ward and tho Hon. J. A. Millar have done all concerned a real good turn. Next session legislation will be introduced to" place the bank-to-bank law beyond question. In the meantime the Arbitration Court is upheld, and serious trouble is averted." WHAT THE SETTLEMENT MEANS. The settlement now arrived at, on the face of the telegraphed explanation, appears to be practically that 'the company originally offered and the men refused. The allowance of 48 minutes now made in the case of the Ironbndge mine, and 32 minutes in the case of Coalbrookdale, averages 40 minutes. Mr. Foster, the representative of tho Miners' Union, in an interview with a representative of this j?aj?er, stated

"that the company wished to fix stated times for going into and out of tho mine, but the men refused to concede this point. The miners' time for walking in and out of tho mine was 36 minutes, and the company's 40 minutes, but still that apparent concession of 4 minutes would keep some men in the mine longer than if they wcro working on the bank-to-bank system." Now, apparently, the men have accepted what is equal to an average allowance of 40 minutes, which they originally refused. Under the new order of things, it appaars from the telegraphed particulars of the settlement that no travelling time will bo paid for. The men will accept the times arranged in lieu of payment for travelling time. Instead of working as they formerly did 7£ hours, they will now work 7£ hours, less 48 minutes in the case of the Ironbridge mine, and 7^ hours, less 32 minutes, in the case of Coalbrookdale. Or in other words, instead of being paid a nominal overtime rate for travelling, they will now work 7i hours, less the two concessions specified.